Find out how popular the last name Capel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Capel.

Capel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Capel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Capel in America

Capel is the 17120th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Capel surname appeared 1,657 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Capel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Capel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Capel

The surname CAPEL is of English origin, deriving from the Old Norman French word "capel" or "chapel," meaning a small church or oratory. This name likely originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century, when many Norman-French words and names were introduced to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The surname CAPEL may have been initially adopted as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near or was associated with a small chapel or church. It could also have been an occupational surname for someone who worked or served in a chapel. In some cases, the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who frequently visited or had a particular affinity for a local chapel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CAPEL can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Capel" and "Capella." This suggests that the name was already in use shortly after the Norman Conquest. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Capell, Cappell, and Cappelle.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir William Capel (c. 1248-1319), an English landowner and member of the gentry from Hertfordshire. Another early figure was Sir Arthur Capel (c. 1604-1649), a Royalist during the English Civil War who was executed by Parliamentary forces.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the CAPEL surname was particularly prevalent in parts of Essex, Suffolk, and Kent, where several places bear the name, such as Capel St. Mary in Suffolk and Capel-le-Ferne in Kent. This indicates that the name may have originated as a locational surname in these areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname CAPEL include Arthur Capel, 1st Earl of Essex (1631-1683), an English courtier and politician, and Monsignor Thomas John Capel (1836-1911), an English Roman Catholic priest and theologian.

Throughout its history, the surname CAPEL has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, and its origins can be traced back to the Norman-French language and the medieval period, with connections to small churches, chapels, and ecclesiastical associations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Capel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Capel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Capel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Capel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Capel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Capel, please contact us.

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